They came in their thousands, some huddled under umbrellas, others gathered under trees.
But one and all stood together, silently, as the solemn strains of The Last Post sounded over Werribee’s Anzac Day dawn service.
The cenotaph was encircled in a sea of people, young and old, paying tribute to Australia’s servicemen and women, past and present.
They thought of the day 100 years ago that Australian and New Zealand soldiers landed at Gallipoli, forging the Anzac legend on the Turkish peninsula where more than 8500 Australians were killed.
Over the course of the First World War, 350 men from Werribee and district served on the frontline; 60 would pay the ultimate price.
Stories of Werribee’s fallen soldiers were documented on large posters around the cenotaph, each one featuring the same haunting image of a young soldier in uniform and each one telling its own heartbreaking tale of courage, sacrifice and loss.
While those young men are remembered, so, too, are the thousands who have also lost their lives in conflicts of more recent times.
As dawn broke and rain finally eased, people laid wreaths as signs of respect to those who gave so much.
Werribee RSL president Daryl Ryan said he was overwhelmed by the size of crowd, which police estimated at about 10,000.
“It’s the largest I’ve ever seen [at a dawn service],” he said. “The wet weather didn’t seem to deter people and the number of young people, especially school children, was unbelievable.
“Even after the service finished, people were still reading the stories about the Werribee soldiers.
“They couldn’t believe how many died from what would have been a very small town at the time,” he said.
“More people than ever are researching their families’ history.
“They’re taking great pride in their history and the contributions they made to this country.
“We get requests to speak, not only at community groups but at schools and even kindergartens, so it’s having an enormous impact on people of all ages,” Mr Ryan said.
“There are many other significant milestones coming up over the next few years, so I think the day will only get bigger.”
Crowds braved the weather to attend the Werribee Anzac Day dawn service.
Anzac Day centenary in Wyndham
Read our coverage of the Anzac Day centenary across Wyndham, including features and news stories.
